When the Duggars rose to fame in the early 2000s, audiences were drawn to their reality shows primarily because Jim Bob and Michelle had already sired a massive brood, and they seemed to have no plans to put the breeding on hold anytime soon. As time went on, however, viewers realized that their fertility was not the most unusual thing about the Duggars. Instead, it was the family's bonkers belief system that made for such compelling viewing. From courtship rules to insanely strict dress codes, the Duggars controlled every aspect of their kids' lives, and it was only a matter of time before said offspring started to rebel. Take a look: 1. Josiah Can’t Be Tamed First, there’s Josiah Duggar. Sure, he recently settled down and got married, but we’re guessing his days as the main cause of Jim Bob’s migraines are far from over. 2. Heartbreaker Josiah is unique among his siblings in that he was involved in a different courtship BEFORE he met his wife. 3. The Mystery Deepens There’s still no word on what caused Josiah and Marjorie to call off their courtship — a move that’s almost unprecedented in Duggar Land. Scandalous! 4. Still Rebelling After his relationship with Marjorie ended, Josiah continued to maintain an Instagram account in direct defiance of his parents’ rules. 5. What Courtship Rules? He and Lauren Swanson also held hands, front-hugged and went on un-chaperoned dates before they were married. Someone arrest this man! 6. Four Can Play at That Game! But no one tossed the courtship rules right out the window quite like John David Duggar and his fiance Abbie Burnett. View Slideshow
Jinger Duggar has been treating Counting On fans to photos of her adorable little family . Now, she and husband Jeremy Vuolo are sharing a new photo. In it, she’s twinning with her 3-month old baby, Felicity. “Like mother, like daughter,” Jinger captioned the photo that you’re about to see. In it, the 24-year-old Duggar daughter is wearing a floral headband. Baby Felicity is wearing a matching headband — it’s just a smaller version for her tiny baby head. While they’re not otherwise in matching outfits, we think that it still counts as twinning. (Seriously, finding a baby outfit that matches adult clothing can be tricky) Besides, the picture is just too cute. This mother-daughter photo is so cute! This is the time of year for dressing up in a lot more than headbands, but the Duggar family does not celebrate Halloween. Michelle Duggar expressed her strong views in a blog post in 2011. “While we do go to pumpkin patches and corn mazes,” Michelle wrote. “We don’t do the Halloween thing.” You miss out on a lot of fun and a lot of culture when you grow up in the Duggar household. “From the beginning of our marriage we just kind of felt like we didn’t want to celebrate that holiday,” she shared. “But,” Michelle admitted. “We enjoy the harvest celebration.” “Our church fellowship has had different celebrations through the years that we’ve been a part of,” Michelle continued. Michelle wrote that these celebrations were “ones where the children can play games and receive candy and toys and do all kinds of fun things, like a cake walk.” Really, of course, the family’s reluctance to participate in Halloween stems from a desire to isolate the children from any cultural experiences that they consider unbiblical. In Growing Up Duggar by Jill, Jinger, Jessa, and Jana mention how seriously Jim Bob and Michelle take the supernatural. “One specific thing that our parents have always been careful about is magic,” the book says. “Which often shows up in children’s movies.” “As harmless as it may seem, it’s not a joke in God’s eyes,” the girls say. “Magic, sorcery, witches, spell-casting and the like are all part of the demonic realm that God wants us to stay away from,” the book continues. “No matter how ‘good’ a film containing magic may seem,” the girls warn. “God speaks seriously throughout the Bible.” The girls write that “it is not something to be glorified or portrayed by any means as something fun or attractive.” So we don’t think that Felicity will be going trick-or-treating when she gets older. Halloween, first of all, tends to glorify a lot of those things — you know, people dress as witches and ghosts. Also, the holiday itself is based upon an ancient religious festival of the Celtics, that involved honoring the dead while celebrating the year’s final harvest. While most see Halloween as fairly distinct from Samhain, which some still practice today, to the Duggars, it’s a spiritual threat. That said, Jeremy Vuolo has shown that he’s less strict than Jim Bob and Michelle. Just as Austin Forsyth viewed and reviewed the Marvel film, Thor , Jeremy has demonstrated that he doesn’t share their views. He believes that women can wear pants. Might he one day allow his daughter to dress up as Batgirl or as a princess? Maybe we’ll find out. For now, she’s a literal baby and is perfectly happy wearing a headband that matches her mother’s. View Slideshow: Jinger Duggar Shares Adorable Pics of Her “Little Family,” Melts Fans’ Hearts
It’s been three months since Jinger Duggar welcomed her first child , and from the looks of her latest Instagram pics, the 24-year-old wasted no time in getting back to her fitness regimen. Fans have marveled at Jinger’s post-baby body , and many have asked the Counting On star for tips and tricks. Fortunately, Jinger is happy to fill fans in on her weight loss methods. Un fortunately, her followers might not be thrilled with Jinger’s “secrets.” It turns out, Jinger has stuck to the basics in the months since she welcomed little Felicity into the world. Insiders say she eats right and exercises a lot — a fact Jinger confirmed with her latest Instagram posts. Jinger and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, currently reside in Laredo, Texas, and while they escaped the brunt of Hurricane Michael, their proximity to the Gulf Coast means the couple has faced some pretty wild weather lately. But Jinger didn’t let the rain and wind stand in the way of her daily jogs. Jinger recently documented the stormy weather on her Instagram page and informed fans that it would not stop her from getting in a vigorous workout: “Perfect day for a run,” she captioned the above photo. As rich and famous as they are, the Duggars tend to eschew luxuries such as personal trainers and Hollywood trends like fad diets. So it stands to reason that Jinger would favor the old-fashioned approach when trying to lose that last little bit of baby weight. Needless to say, the old ways seem to be working for her. And one of Jinger’s famous peers recently took notice. “Uhm so that mama is looking fantastic. Congrats on your new baby girl!!!” Little People, Big World star Tori Roloff recently commented on one of Jinger’s pics. “She gets prettier every day.” Jeremy was quick to second that opinion, responding, “She gets prettier every day.” Obviously, baby Felicity is Jinger’s number one priority these days, but it seems she’s also taking time to look after herself while Jeremy watches the baby. Further evidence that, slowly but surely, the Duggars are joining the 21st century. Better late than never! View Slideshow: Jinger Duggar Asserts Her Independence: I’m a Vuolo Now!
Counting On suffers from the same problem as so many reality shows nowadays, in that its stars are so famous and so popular on social media that it’s very easy to stay up to speed with what’s going on in their lives. Some have argued that these circumstances render reality TV obsolete, but Counting On remains as popular as ever, and last night’s episode provided some potent reminders of why that is. The installment served up major developments on different fronts, as the two most rebellious Duggar siblings each prepared for the next stage in their life. Back in July, Jinger Duggar welcomed her first child , a girl named Felicity. But at the time that Monday’s episode was filmed, the young couple was still clueless as to the baby’s sex. “There was a lot of anticipation waiting to find out the gender,” Jinger told the cameras of prior to her doctor’s appointment. “Who’s the baby going to look like? We were both so thrilled.” Jeremy — clearly overwhelmed by seeing an image of his daughter for — struggled to put the profound moment into words. “That’s incredible,” he said at one point. “This was my first time ever being in an ultrasound, and the fact it’s my child was astonishing,” Vuolo later added. “I was almost at a loss for words.” Despite some initial misgivings, Jeremy and Jinger opted to find out the baby’s gender as early as possible, and lucky for us, the emotional moment was caught on camera. “We opted not to be surprised so maybe we could have more time to reflect on the name, and maybe down the road we may choose to be surprised,” Vuolo said. “When the technician told us what we were having, we were both overjoyed,” Jinger told the cameras. “We just could not believe it.” Just a few months later Felicity Nicole Vuolo entered the world at 8lbs. and 3oz. And so far, fans have continued to share in every moment of her young life. Of course, Jinger and Jeremy weren’t the only ones gearing up for a life-changing moment on last night’s show. Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson got married in June, and on Monday’s Counting On, fans got a peek at the preparations as Lauren attempted to find the perfect dress for the occasion. The Duggars and their fundamentalist community are typically very big on gender roles, but Lauren broke with tradition by bringing her dad along on her dress-shopping excursion. “Before Josiah came into the picture, my dad was my very best friend,” Lauren told the cameras. “He was someone I always would talk to about anything if anything was wrong, and I really value my dad’s opinion.” Of course, there are downsides to shopping with the guy who’s footing the bill: “I really wanted him to be part of it. My dad will probably be more concerned about the price, just knowing my dad,” Lauren said. “He’s very frugal. I don’t necessarily like to pick the expensive things. I don’t tend, to but that happens.” Clearly, Lauren’s not as conservative as the Duggars — so it’s a good thing that she found happiness with the most non-traditional of the Counting On clan. View Slideshow: Josiah Duggar & Lauren Swanson Relive Their Whirlwind Courtship on Counting On!
Just days before Felicity Vuolo’s two month “birthday,” Jeremy and Jinger are taking to social media and gushing over their baby. Fans had expressed concerns about the precious infant’s health in recent photos. But as fans can see, little Felicity is all smiles. In the absolutely precious photo that you’re about to see, a grinning Jeremy Vuolo gazes warmly into the eyes of his infant daughter. Baby Felicity lays on her back and smiles up at him. According to the captions, this is a very common occurrence these days. Jeremy writes: “She’s all smiles these days.” This is a truly touching and beautiful family photo. Take a look: Felicity was born in July, as Jeremy and Jinger shared on the family website. “God is so kind!” the post gushed. “Jinger gave birth to Felicity Nicole Vuolo this morning at 4:37 am.” And then they laid out her stats: “Felicity weighs 8lbs. and 3oz. and is 19.5 inches long.” “Both mom and baby are healthy, doing great, and resting well,” they shared. The post concluded: “We are very thankful for her safe arrival and look forward to life as parents” Felicity will be two months old on September 19! Babies grow up so quickly, and the couple’s fans and followers are happy to see pictures. Of course, a recent photo of Felicity Vuolo raised concern among fans . They looked at the adorable baby girla nd perceived that she looked “blue,” which could indicate a problem with circulation or oxygenation. A number of fans shared these genuine worries in the captions, not to be hateful, but simply out of alarm. Fortunately, it looks like Felicity remains happy and healthy. Perhaps what followers perceived was merely a trick of the lighting? After Jeremy and Jinger shared the name of their young daughter, some were puzzled over its meaning. (And no, it is not a reference to a Keri Russell character) While you might not expect hardcore Christians like these two to name their daughter after a Roman deity (Felicitas), they explained that they named her after “a young Christian girl who lived long ago.” That is a clear reference to Saint Felicitas, a young Christian woman who was martyred alongside Saint Perpetua in the Third Century in Carthage. The Vuolos are not Catholic, but clearly they felt a connection to Felicitas’ religious convictions. More to the point, however, Jinger and Jeremy explained that the name simply “felt right.” It is wonderful that Felicity smiles so much. Babies are not generally capable of giving a full smile when first born — it is a skill that they develop. But smiling is a great indicator that Felicity is successfully bonding with Jeremy and with Jinger, expressing a rush of excitement when she sees her parents. Babies can be grumpy and they can cry, which is also normal and healthy, but it’s always good to see a baby smile. Let’s hope that she continues to smile — if Jinger and Jeremy prove to be better parents than anyone in Jinger’s terrifying family. View Slideshow: Michelle Duggar’s Parenting Methods: Is She Messing Up Her Grandkids?
Just last month, Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo welcomed their first child . In the weeks since, the happy couple has been doting on their daughter and gushing about little Felicity every chance they get. But that doesn’t mean they’re not making time for the truly important things, like roasting Derick Dillard’s dumb ass on social media. A little backstory is required in order to fully understand why Jeremy’s seemingly innocent tweet from Monday night is being widely interpreted as anti-Dillard shade. As you probably know, Derick was fired from Counting On after unapologetically sharing his bigoted views with the world on Twitter. And it’s not just his former bosses who have taken issue with D-Dill’s big mouth. There have been rumors that several members of the extended Duggar clan want nothing to do with Derick. And reports of a feud between Vuolo and Dillard have been especially common in recent weeks. “Jinger and I are so grateful to TLC for giving us the opportunity to share our lives with all of you!” Jeremy wrote on Twitter before Monday’s Counting On season premiere. “Tune in this Monday night — July 30th, 9/8C — for the new season of #CountingOn.” Sounds innocent enough, but it’s not hard to see why many Duggar-watchers took the remark as an extremely subtle jab at Derick. “Some Dillard shade,” wrote one fan. Another echoed the sentiment with a reluctant shoutout to Jeremy: “He’s good at throwing shade in a fundie acceptable way,” the viewer commented. “I don’t like him, but damn if it ain’t entertaining.” Dillard has made his distaste for his former home network abundantly clear in the months since he was unceremoniously kicked to the curb. He was fired for attacking fellow TLC star Jazz Jennings , and he’s since accused network execs of espousing values that run counter to everything the Duggars stand for. In that context, it’s a bit easier to see how Jeremy’s public praise for the same folks who gave Derick the ax could as smack talk. Of course, the big question now is — will Derick respond? We sure hope so. We could really go for a heated Duggar feud. View Slideshow: Derick Dillard Labels Transgender Movement as Form of Child Abuse
Just because you follow The Bachelorette Spoilers and know how things end doesn't mean that you don't want to enjoy the episode in peace. But, this week, The Bachelorette was interrupted by the exact opposite of peace — it was an announcement of Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick. And the Bachelor Nation was pissed . Chris Harrison warned viewers in advance that Trump would be preempting the broadcast. But the Bachelor Nation has been waiting for ages to watch Colton Underwood tell Becca Kufrin that he's a virgin . Most people get their breaking news from Twitter and their in-depth coverage from online articles these days, so it was understandably difficult for many people to understand why they needed to waste 20 minutes of their lives. And, as you may have heard, Trump isn't exactly hitting any record highs for Presidential popularity. So the Bachelor Nation took to Instagram to vent their fury and frustration. Take a look: 1. Fans were pissed This tweet shows that you can care about politics but still be furious that you’re missing your show. People can do both. 2. Is this evidence of Trump hypocrisy? Honestly, “caring about women” is not really part of his brand. 3. This has happened before Remember when Trump interrupted Bachelor in Paradise? What does he have against the pursuit of love? 4. The language became colorful It takes a lot of audacity to interrupt primetime television and take twenty entire minutes to read one name. 5. Trump was not what the Bachelor Nation wanted to see Seriously. And now everyone wants to know how Blake’s mom feels about what he decided to share with the world. 6. This is what you’d call a swing voter That’s probably an easy promise to make. Unless you have some sort of pathology that makes you crave the spotlight so much that you schedule a briefing for primetime. View Slideshow
Not long after the world learned that Jinger Duggar is pregnant , the beloved reality star revealed her due date to be sometime in early July. Now, we suppose different folks have different definitions, but for most people, that would mean any date between July 1 and July 15. What we’re saying is, if it’s not already passed, Jinger’s due date is very, very close. And it seems that even though birthing and child-rearing have pretty much been parts of her day-to-day life since childhood, Jinger is currently experiencing the heady mix of emotions that every first time goes through in the final stages of pregnancy. Speaking with TLC recently, Jinger revealed that she’s more than a little frightened by the prospect of giving birth. “I get scared thinking about birth and labor,” she told her home network. Her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, didn’t offer much in the way of help, admitting that he’s flat-out clueless about the entire process: “I don’t know much about birth,” he said. Like we said, Jinger must know a thing or two about birth, what with having 13 younger siblings and 10 nieces and nephews. But in many ways, she and Jeremy are in uncharted territory. From the very start, they established that their marriage would be different from those of Jinger’s sisters. The most obvious act of rebellion, of course, was Jinger’s decision to begin wearing pants instead of floor-length dresses (with her husband’s permission of course). But the couple also set themselves apart in more subtle ways. Jinger waited a full year after her wedding to get pregnant. Obviously, there’s nothing unusual about that in most cases, but Duggar women typically get pregnant on their honeymoons. And soon, Jinger will become the first Duggar woman of her generation to give birth outside of the great state of Arkansas. Again, that may not seem like a big deal, but the Duggars are second only to the Waltons as Arkansas’ most famous family, and their ties to their hometown are very strong. Anyway, it’s refreshing to see Jinger being so candid about her trepidation — we suppose that’s just one more way in which she’s breaking the mold. Watch Counting On online to get caught up on the show that made her family famous before the season premiere later this summer. View Slideshow: Jinger Duggar: Secrets & Scandals of the Family Rebel!
Despite rumors that Jinger Duggar has secretly given birth , it appears that the beloved reality star is very much still pregnant. The mom-to-be offered up some photographic of her current condition on Instagram last night. Check out that little pumpkin! “Almost there! Vuolo #38weeks4days,” she captioned the image. Obviously, Jinger was able to say it all with just a few words (and one awkward hashtag) in this particular case. But she was feeling much more expressive in a recent interview with TLC, the Duggar family’s official network. “I get scared thinking about birth and labor,” she said. Yes, over the years, Jinger has earned her reputation as the most candid and forthcoming Duggar, and she’s cemented her claim to that title in the final weeks of her pregnancy. When Us Weekly caught up with Jinger recently, the 24-year-old revealed that carrying a baby had taken a serious toll on her energy levels: “I do think probably what surprised me most [about pregnancy] is just being so tired all the time,” she revealed. “They’ve said, ‘Just take a nap, don’t feel bad when you need to lay down in the middle of the day.’” She added: “Especially when I was in all the morning sickness, I talked to them a lot about what they did, “How they got through their morning sickness and I think that was some of the best advice … just resting, taking it easy.” Jinger is regarded as a bit of a rebel in the Duggar clan, so it’s appropriate that her pregnancy hasn’t conformed to her family’s customs. For starters, Jinger and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, broke with convention by waiting almost a year after their wedding to get pregnant. On top of that, Jinger will soon become the first of her sisters to give birth outside of the family’s home state of Arkansas. She and her new husband moved to Laredo, Texas, where Jeremy works as a minister, shortly after getting hitched. In recent weeks, we’ve heard talk that this might not be the soon-to-be-family’s last relocation – or their most drastic for that matter. It’s been rumored that Jinger and Jeremy will move to Los Angeles after the baby is born so that he can pursue a divinity school degree. Needless to say, in the event that they follow through on that, Jinger’s pumpkin will be living a much more worldly life than his or her cousins. View Slideshow: Jinger Duggar: Secrets & Scandals of the Family Rebel!
Vinne Paul, a veteran musician in the heavy metal music industry and a founding member of the band Pantera, died this week from unknown causes. He was 54 years old. The drummer’s death was announced by Pantera on Saturday via Twitter, as the group simply posted the following message: Vinnie Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away. Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands Pantera and Hellyeah. No further details are available at this time. The family requests you please respect their privacy during this time. Paul helped create Pantera in the 1980s, along with his brother, guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Their father a famous country and western songwriter and producer named Jerry Abbott. The group enjoyed mainstream success with second lead singer Phil Anselmo. Throughout its career, Pantera earned four Grammy nominations and charted nine albums on the Billboard 200, including its 1994 album Far Beyond Driven, which debuted atop the chart at the time of its release. After Pantera split up, the Abbott siblings formed Damageplan in 2003. However, the band was performing in December 2004 when Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed onstage during a concert in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2006, Paul was the drummer for Hellyeah, a heavy metal band that included Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray and Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell. In the wake of Paul’s passing, some major names in the music business have shared their condolences on social media. Alice Cooper Tweeted the following: “Terribly saddened by the news of Vinnie Paul’s passing. “Vinnie was a beloved fixture in the rock and metal communities and we will miss seeing him out on the road. His impact on heavy music is immeasurable. Rest In Peace Vinnie, condolences to your family, friends and fans.” And then there was this from Slash: “Tragic news about Vinnie Paul today. “He was one of the warmest people I knew. A truly good & fun friend. We’re going to miss you more than you could possibly have known. RIP buddy.” And this from Bret Michaels: “Vinnie – You will be missed! You were an amazing human being & we had many great times together. A toast to you my friend, my prayers are with you!” And this from Dave Mustaine of Megadeth: “I just woke up in Belgium to the news that my friend Vinnie Paul has passed away. Another metal hero taken too soon. Say hello to Daryl for me. “Rest In Peace, my dear friend.” “Gutted to hear about the nicest guy in metal passing. Vinnie Paul showed us nothing but love. We’ll miss you Vinnie,” Papa Roach also wrote in response. As we said above, we do not know how Paul died right now or even on which day. We’ll update this story with more information and news as it breaks, May Vinnie Paul rest in peace. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2018: In Memoriam
